LibGuides: ENG 200 Quiz Review: Evaluating Sources

Types

The easiest way to know you have scholarly, peer-reviewed sources in your search results list is to check the "Peer Reviewed" box.

These articles have been written and reviewed by experts in the field, such as individuals holding advanced degrees or academic and government appointments in the field.

You need to look for web pages that have been recently and/or regularly updated.
Practice the concept of "lateral reading," especially when it concerns "breaking news," which could only be found through a recently updated website.
Credible web pages often include suffixes in their web addresses such as .edu, .org, .gov, or .mil, but you still need to evaluate them.

For example:

Imagine you are researching the number of deaths due to Covid-19, and you need to find a visual. You turn to Google...

Whether it is a library source or a reputable web site, look for how frequently the resource is updated if your question relates to something recent or currently in the news.

A Better Option:

Not all research questions can be answered through journal articles or through online sources.
When your topic is a complex one with many historical factors that need to be considered before you can draw conclusions, books may be your best option.

For instance:

Why did the murder of Archduke Ferdinand become the trigger that led to WWI?

While journal articles could be helpful, the complexity of the topic means books will have the ability to delve deeper into the subject.

The Arming of Europe and the Making of the First World War by David G. Herrmann
ISBN: 9780691033747
Publication Date: 1995-12-18
David Herrmann's work is the most complete study to date of how land-based military power influenced international affairs during the series of diplomatic crises that led up to the First World War. Instead of emphasizing the naval arms race, which has been extensively studied before, Herrmann draws on documentary research in military and state archives in Germany, France, Austria, England, and Italy to show the previously unexplored effects of changes in the strength of the European armies during this period. Herrmann's work provides not only a contribution to debates about the causes of the war but also an account of how the European armies adopted the new weaponry of the twentieth century in the decade before 1914, including quick-firing artillery, machine guns, motor transport, and aircraft. In a narrative account that runs from the beginning of a series of international crises in 1904 until the outbreak of the war, Herrmann points to changes in the balance of military power to explain why the war began in 1914, instead of at some other time. Russia was incapable of waging a European war in the aftermath of its defeat at the hands of Japan in 1904-5, but in 1912, when Russia appeared to be regaining its capacity to fight, an unprecedented land-armaments race began. Consequently, when the July crisis of 1914 developed, the atmosphere of military competition made war a far more likely outcome than it would have been a decade earlier.
The First World War and the End of the Habsburg Monarchy, 1914-1918 by Manfried Rauchensteiner; Alex J. Kay; Anna Güttel-Bellert
ISBN: 9783205795889
Publication Date: 2014-07-24
In this new work on World War I and its devastating consequences, Manfried Rauchensteiner offers the most detailed and insightful military history of the fall of the Habsburg Empire to date. Based on decades of meticulous research, this ground-breaking account of 'Austro-Hungary's final war' uncovers previously ignored historic connections to provide a work of unrivaled depth and scope. Covering everything from the eve of the war until its very last day, Rauchensteiner paints a captivating picture of the dramatic disintegration of a monarchy that had lasted for over 600 years. The book not only explains the underlying politics and military strategy that determined this grueling theater of war; it also powerfully evokes the impact of the war as a state of emergency on every aspect of everyday life. A skillfully crafted and utterly comprehensive chronicle of the crossing into a new era, this definitive book allows for a full understanding of the 'Great War' as a turning point in history. Originally published in German, this benchmark work is now available in English.
An Improbable War? by Holger Afflerbach (Editor); David Stevenson (Editor)
ISBN: 9780857455963
Publication Date: 2007-10-30
The First World War has been described as the "primordial catastrophe of the twentieth century." Arguably, Italian Fascism, German National Socialism and Soviet Leninism and Stalinism would not have emerged without the cultural and political shock of World War I. The question why this catastrophe happened therefore preoccupies historians to this day. The focus of this volume is not on the consequences, but rather on the connection between the Great War and the long 19th century, the short- and long-term causes of World War I. This approach results in the questioning of many received ideas about the war's causes, especially the notion of "inevitability."

Accurately assessing the relevancy of an author's or speaker's credentials in relation to your question is what will inspire confidence in your own audience that what you are saying is reasonable and plausible.

New topic of research: The construction of ancient monuments around the world

You've found three books from the library.

If Stones Could Speak by Marc Aronson What are the secrets of the ancient stone circle? Were the carefully placed stones a burial site, an ancient calendar, a place of Druid worship...or even a site of sacrifice? World-renowned archaeologist Mike Parker-Pearson has spent the last seven years on a quest to answer these and many other questions. In If Stones Could Speak, award-winning author Marc Aronson joins the research crew and records their efforts to crack Stonehenge’s secrets. National Geographic helped sponsor the Riverside archeological team’s mission, and now young readers can journey behind the scenes to experience this groundbreaking story first-hand, through the eyes of the experts. Mike and his team have revolutionized our understanding of Stonehenge by exploring the surrounding landscape for clues about the stones -- an idea first suggested by a visitor from Madagascar. The results have been breathtaking: The team recently unearthed the largest Neolithic village ever found in England. Marc Aronson had total access to the site, the team, and their work over two seasons of digging and brings the inspirational story of the discoveries taking place at this World Historical Site to young readers. The informative and drama-driven text includes tales of dead bodies, cremations, feasting, and ancient rituals, as well as insights into the science of uncovering the ancien t past. The expert text, stunning photography, and explanatory maps and illustrations will all help young readers see this ancient monument in totally new ways, and inspire future generations of archaeological explorers.
ISBN: 9781426305993
Publication Date: 2010-03-09
A Dictionary of Ancient near Eastern Architecture by Gwendolyn Leick This Dictionary gives a comprehensive survey of the whole range of ancient Near Eastern architecture from the Neolithic round huts in Palestine to the giant temples of Ptolemaic Egypt. Gwendolyn Leick examines the development of the principal styles of ancient architecture within their geographical and historical context, and describes features of major sites such as Ur, Nineveh and Babylon, as well as many of the lesser-known sites. She also covers the variations of typical ancient architectural structures such as pyramids, tombs and houses, details the building material and techniques employed, and clarifies specialist terminology. Gwendolyn Leick is affiliated with the University College, Cardiff and the University of Reading.
ISBN: 0415513111
Publication Date: 2011-11-08
The Archaeology of Athens by John M. Camp The monuments of ancient Athens and Attica give eloquent testimony to the enduring legacy of Greek civilization. In this book, a leading authority on the archaeology of this area presents a survey of the monuments-first chronologically and then site by site-creating the definitive work on the subject.John M. Camp begins with a comprehensive narrative history of the monuments from the earliest times to the sixth century A.D. Drawing on literary and epigraphic evidence, including Plutarch's biographies, Pausanias's guidebook, and thousands of inscriptions, he discusses who built a given structure, when, and why. Camp presents dozens of passages in translation, allowing the reader easy access to the variety and richness of the ancient sources. In effect, this main part of the book provides an engrossing history of ancient Athens as recorded in its archaeological remains. The second section of the book offers in-depth discussions of individual sites in their physical context, including accounts of excavations in the modern era. Written in a clear and engaging style and lavishly illustrated, Camp's archaeological tour of Athens is certain to appeal not only to scholars and students but also to visitors to the area.
ISBN: 0300081979
Publication Date: 2001-12-11

But your instructor has told you that you need one more source, and it just needs to be credible, not necessarily peer-reviewed. You decide to use information from one of your favorite TV shows, Ancient Aliens.

Source #4: Ancient Aliens, hosted by Giorgio Tsoukalos with frequent appearances by George Noory. They believe in something they call "Ancient Astronaut Theory."

Let's look at credentials:

Dr. Marc Aronson
Writer, editor, publisher, speaker, and historian. He has written history and biography nonfiction books for children and young adults, as well as nonfiction books for adults about teenage readers. School of Library and Information Science faculty at Rutgers University-New Brunswick.	Ph.D. in American History from New York University

Dr. Gwendolyn Leick
Anthropologist and Assyriologist. She is the author of various publications on the Ancient Near East. She also acts as a cultural tour guide in the Middle East, lecturing on history, archaeology and anthropology.	D.Phil. at Karl Franzens University

Dr. John M. Camp
Director of the Athenian Agora Excavations at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Professor of Classics at Randolph-Macon College.	B.A. from Harvard University -M.A. and Ph.D. in Classical Archaeology from Princeton University

Giorgio A. Tsoukalos
Writer, ufologist, television presenter and producer. He is best known for his appearances on the television series Ancient Aliens. Co-founder and publisher of former Legendary Times magazine.	B.A. in Communications from Ithica College

George Noory
Host of the late-night radio talk show Coast to Coast AM. Has also appeared in the History Channel series Ancient Aliens and in Beyond Belief.	B.A. in Communications from University of Detroit

While they may be entertaining to watch, you do not want to cite Tsoukalos or Noory in your scholarly work. Their credentials show they are NOT experts in the construction of ancient monuments.

Why would they - or anyone - pretend to know more than they do?

Scientific theories are unassailable because they have been proven with countless duplications and have never been disproven. Scientific hypotheses are new ideas still being actively debated. A group or an individual may have an interest (financial or otherwise) in portraying a hypothesis as a theory (or maybe even vice versa). When you encounter a claim that overturns conventional wisdom, it is rarely a genius who is offering a new insight but rather a self-interested party seeking to gain something by confusing an issue.

If the experiment supporting the claim has not been duplicated, then the claim is still in question. It is a hypothesis and should not be accepted as proven.
Claims sponsored by groups with significant investments in overturning long-held beliefs or conclusions are potentially false or biased and likewise should not be accepted as proven.

In other words, opinions of celebrities AND/OR research sponsored by those with an economic stake in the outcome of the research should not be considered credible.

ENG 200 Quiz Review

Types

You need to look for web pages that have been recently and/or regularly updated.